Last But Not Least

Welcome to the last issue of the year for Power Transmission Engineering. It's been a tough slog for everyone, and we're glad you stuck through it with us.

Randy Stott,
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Whether you read our articles at the office, on the factory floor, or (more than likely these days) at home, we're proud to give you a wide variety of high quality articles detailing the engineering and practical application of gears, bearings, motors, couplings and other components vital in keeping the world moving.

As we bring the year to a close, we're more committed than ever to bringing you the best possible coverage of mechanical power transmission components and technology, and we hope this issue demonstrates that commitment to you.

For starters, we present our annual Buyer's Guide in this issue (p. 34). We have more than 30 pages of listings by category of the leading suppliers of power transmission components and related products and services. Hopefully, business at your company is rebounding strongly, and over the next few months, you'll have a need to get in touch with some of these suppliers. Don't forget, though, that this printed Buyer's Guide is just the beginning. The categories you see here are broken down even further at powertransmission.com, so you an find exactly what you need. Plus, online many of the leading suppliers have provided us with in-depth information on their companies, and you can contact them right through the site.

In addition to the Buyer's Guide, this issue has a focus on linear motion, and we have articles from two of the industry leaders in that field to demonstrate some of the latest technologies. Senior Editor Matt Jaster sat down (remotely!) with Richard Vaughn, automation engineering manager at Bosch Rexroth, to discuss some of the latest innovations (p. 20). We also have a great how-to article from Thomson Industries and Motion Industries about configuring linear actuators (p. 22).

Matt Jaster also interviewed some leading suppliers in aerospace, and he presents some trends to consider heading into 2021 (p. 26).

Of course, we're also bringing you a strong technical lineup this issue, with an article from the FZG Research Institute on calculating efficiency and heat balance in worm gears (p. 70). We follow that up with an in-depth article from the experts at SKF that explores and analyzes the methodologies used in bearing performance rating.

Our mission at PTE is to provide you with the absolute highest-quality editorial and technical coverage of the power transmission industry. I'm proud of our team for delivering on that promise in the toughest of times and under far less than ideal circumstances. Altogether, it's a great issue that we're honored to present, and we hope you enjoy reading it.

Ending the year on a high note gives us something to build on. It provides us with encouragement and reassurance that not only can we endure, but we can thrive. We're excited about 2021, and we're looking forward to serving you with even more and better information next year.

On behalf of the staff at Power Transmission Engineering, AGMA Media and the American Gear Manufacturers Association, I'd like to wish all of you a healthy holiday season, a happy new year and sincere hopes for prosperity and opportunity in 2021.